
Question-and-Answer threads: if the thread is triggered by a question for asking a solution, reason, advice, clarification, or guidance even if the questions are unanswered, then we used the following coding guide:

Errors: questions about specific errors, including error messages, exceptions, the stack trace, etc. [1]}.

Review: this category merges the categories Decision Help and Review [2]}, the category Better Solution [3]}, and What [4]}, as well as How or Why something works [5]}. Questioners of these posts ask for better solutions or reviewing of their code snippets. Often, they also ask for best practice approaches or ask for help to make decisions, for instance, which API to select.

Plans: asking for the future plans or processes of the development.

Learning: this category merges the categories Learning a Language or Technology [5]} and Tutorials or Documentation [7]}. In these posts, the questioners ask for documentation, tutorials, or examples to learn a tool or language. In contrast to the first category, they do not aim at asking for a solution or instructions on how to do something. Instead, they aim at asking for support to learn on their own.

Usage: this category subsumes questions of the types How to implement something and Way of using something [5]}, as well as the category How-to [3]}, [2]}, and the Interaction of API classes [7]}. Specific functionalities are mentioned in the question. The questioner is asking for concrete instructions.

Versions: this question category is equivalent to the categories Version [3]} and API Changes [7]}. The questions arise due to the changes in an API or due to compatibility issues between different versions of an API. Specific versions are mentioned in the questions.

Conceptual: The posts of this category are equivalent to the category Conceptual [2]} and subsumes the categories Why...? and Is it possible...? [3]}. Furthermore, it merges the categories What [4]} and How/Why something works [5]}. The posts consist of questions about the limitations of an API and API behaviour, as well as about understanding concepts, such as design patterns or architectural styles, and background information about some API functionality.

Discrepancy: the posts that are not questions of particular errors, but no clue how to solve questions [1]}.


Non-Question-and-Answer threads: if the thread is triggered by a non-question post, we categorized the topics using the following labels:

Misuse: a post is identified out of the scope, unrelated to the community forum, or difficult to understand.

Announcement: a post provides an announcement from system or core developers about specific events (e.g. future updates, file release).

Information: a post provides a general information. It could be from anyone.

Recruitment: indicates an offer of a job vacancy or recruiting people.

Test: a post is used for a test.

Other: anything that does not fit the above labels, including posts that respond to a post from different threads (the post is not an original question from the asker).


